Cook is described as old. If it was 1933 and she was 63, she would have been born around 1870, the year compulsory eduction was introduced. In 1880 when she was 10 it was still possible in some areas - especially, I suspect, rural ones - to leave school at 10 (not raised nationally to 11 until 1893).

Rural education in the late 19th century is described, for example, in Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson.